If you love honey, you’ll really love this cake. It’s got a great texture, thanks to the ground almonds and it’s got plenty of character, thanks to all the runny honey that gets trickled liberally over the cake while it’s still warm. You can swap out the plain self-raising for wholemeal self-raising if you like, which makes the cake even nuttier.
Preparation time 10 minutes | Cook time 45 minutes plus 30 minutes for cooling | Serves 8
250 unsalted organic butter, cut into small pieces and softened
250g caster sugar
4 Stonegate Estate Organic eggs
150g organic self-raising flour
A pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
150g ground almonds
25g flaked almonds
4 tablespoons runny honey (or set honey, warmed sufficiently to trickle)
Preheat the oven to 190°C /170°C fan. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter to a cream. Add the sugar and beat thoroughly until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of the flour with each and beating thoroughly before adding the next.
Combine the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt and sift into the bowl. Using a large metal spoon, carefully fold into the mixture. Stir in the ground almonds until evenly mixed.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading it evenly with the back of the spoon. Scatter over the flaked almonds. Stand the tin on a baking sheet (as the cake may leak a little butter during cooking). Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, until springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
On removing from the oven, use a small thin skewer to prick holes all over the surface of the cake then trickle the honey over the surface so that it all soaks in. Leave in the tin for half an hour or so before turning out and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
This cake keeps well for at least a week, stored in an airtight tin.
